The Roseville Mennonite congregation near Roseville, Ontario was Swiss/South German in cultural identity. The language of worship was English; the transition from German occurred in the early 1900s.

Interior of restored meetinghouse, 1999

The congregation began services in ca. 1822. The first building was occupied in ca. 1830, with a later building in 1855. Jacob Detweiler is considered the founding leader of the group. The congregation originated through emigration from Pennsylvania. The congregation was also known as Detweiler Mennonite Church.

Detweiler Meetinghouse in 1855

In the congregation's early years there was some rivalry with the Hallman church over where a building should be constructed. In the end two buildings went up, though the Hallman group dissolved about 1886.

The building and land was sold to Detweiler Meetinghouse Inc. in 1992, and restoration of the 1855 building as a heritage site began in 1996. The dedication of the restored meetinghouse took place in September 1999.

The church is located on Roseville Rd., 1 km west of Roseville.

Bibliography

Canadian Mennonite (4 January 1957): 4.

Mennonite Reporter (29 February 1988): 10; (22 January 1996): 13.

K-W Record, 6 Oct. 1987.

Burkholder, L. J. A Brief History of the Mennonites in Ontario. Kitchener, ON: Mennonite Conference of Ontario, 1935: 70-71.